I'm still shaking my head over the destruction of the Lubbock Coliseum.

Why the heck would you give away or destroy something as valued as our coliseum until it's been replaced? We're now paying for the hubris of our city leaders who pushed for the quick demolition of the facilities.

KCBD is reporting the construction of the new expo center has been delayed indefinitely, or at least for 18 months. Since it was supposed to open in 2022, that means late 2023 at the earliest.

The delay in construction must be terrible news for our friends with the ABC Rodeo. This legendary event has been a part of Lubbock for over 75 years before having to relocate to Levelland. I can't say what else would have happened on or near the expo grounds, but just the loss of the rodeo is enough to make this delay heartbreaking.

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Blame for the delays basically comes down to the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic cut the income that was expected from the hotel tax and drove up construction costs. All of this leaves the folks behind the expo center with some real challenges.

So here's the real question for you: what did we gain by immediately destroying the coliseum/auditorium? The answer is nothing. We saved some operational costs, but forfeited a legendary Lubbock event.

I'm still in disbelief that Snyder, Texas has better city facilities than the city of Lubbock. I don't disagree with many projects of this nature being taken over by private interests (like the Buddy Holly Hall for indoor shows), but I feel like the city destroyed a crucial piece of infrastructure that many, many people in our community enjoyed.

*Below are pictures of the coliseum and its signature walls before it was destroyed.

Remembering the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum


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